Blue blur probably seeing red

By The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Contact)

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LITTLE ROCK — Newspaper copy editors who have had bad experiences with spellcheckers can empathize with these guys.

OneNewsNow.com, a Mississippi-based Web site committed to delivering “news from a Christian perspective,” has a strict policy to replace certain words deemed offensive. So imagine the surprise when readers learned Sunday that “Tyson Homosexual” — not former Arkansas Razorback Tyson Gay — had run the world’s fastest 100-meter dash.

The Web site ran the following altered Associated Press recap of Gay’s 9.68-second sprint:

“Tyson Homosexual was a blur in blue, sprinting 100 meters faster than anyone ever has. ... Homosexual qualified for his first Summer Games team and served notice he’s certainly someone to watch in Beijing.

“ ‘It means a lot to me,’ the 25-year-old Homosexual said. ‘I’m glad my body could do it, because now I know I have it in me.’ ”

Fred Jackson, news director of OneNewsNow.com, told The Washington Post that the site has been fixed.

“We took the filter out for that word,” he said, without using the word “gay,” the Post reported.

Strange times

Sample question from Chris Ferrell’s current-events quiz in the San Antonio Express-News: “The most bizarre story to make headlines this week was: “a) Alex Rodriguez being linked to Madonna, complete with stories that he’s been spotted leaving her apartment late at night. “b) Mike Tyson denying allegations that he tried to bankroll a hit on members of a Brooklyn gang called the Cash Money Brothers. “c) The guy who played Mini-Me has a sex tape. “d) The Tampa Bay Rays are the best team in baseball.”

Originally published 02:54 a.m., July 5, 2008
Updated 02:54 a.m., July 5, 2008

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